Some members of Congress are delighted that Donald Trump will once again serve as President of the United States.
Former Conservative home secretary Suella Braverman told the BBC: “I stress that the world is a safer place now that Donald Trump is in the White House.”
Others were delighted, but most people across party lines had a more decisively negative view of the president-elect’s victory, ranging from mild concern to outright shock.
Many are also pondering what Trump’s victory might say about how the more traditional political class is so sensitive to the concerns of millions that he is once again victorious.
What does this mean for the future of British politics?
This is an issue that the Prime Minister has been paying attention to Since he won the election.
One cabinet minister I spoke to the other day was enthusiastic about their plans to engage with the Harris administration.
What happens if Trump wins? I asked.
Their response, albeit crudely expressed, was “who knows.”
That’s not to say the government hasn’t been laying the groundwork in recent months.
Indeed.
But planning for potential scenarios is different from dealing with reality—and reality begins now.
The first is a call between the prime minister and the president-elect, which Downing Street describes as trying to describe a warm, even benign tone between the socialist former human rights lawyer and the billionaire New Yorker.
We’re told “the prime minister offered his heartfelt congratulations,” adding that “the leaders recalled their meeting in September fondly” – referring to their first gathering at Trump Tower in New York.
“Passionate” and “affectionate” stand out to me because these expressions are often so banal.
The reading of the No. 10 call also sought to capitalize on “President-elect Trump’s close ties and affinity with the UK” – His mother was born on the Isle of Lewis in the Hebrides.
But some people wonder, considering his “America First” slogan, how pro-British is he?
Sir Keir spoke on his mobile phone in his office next to Cabinet Room 10.
The Trump team called the prime minister after the administration requested a call to congratulate him.
I heard Trump spoke to some other leaders first, but not many, it seemed.
The plea that some in the government are making to themselves and audiences outside Westminster is to judge Trump by his actions rather than his words.
The verbal sparks seemed inevitable: That’s the Trump way, but don’t be distracted by them, that’s the mantra of some.
Especially since intense controversy and crazy unpredictability are just the beginning. There are also policies worth considering.
Take Ukraine for example.
How should Europe respond if the incoming president starts cutting support for Kyiv?
Will it remain broadly united or will it begin to fragment?
What if he goes back to asking Europe to pay more for defense, as usual?
Can the UK government afford to increase defense spending faster? Can it afford not to?
Then there’s climate change – and then the critical issue of trade.
The president-elect has talked about the prospect of imposing steep tariffs or import taxes on goods entering the United States.
What does this mean for Sir Keir Starmer’s core mission of trying to boost economic growth?
If the EU also takes retaliatory measures, how should the UK respond?
Embrace Europe, or use the flexibility of Brexit to choose a different approach?
Those who watched the first Trump administration closely told me that his major authorization this time around, along with broader Republican victories, means the next president will be less restrained than the last.
They are better prepared to ensure their employees find the right jobs and get the things they want done faster.
What has just happened in the United States brings huge implications, choices, trade-offs and dilemmas to the UK.
